Ticket issuing machine



June 29, 1937.

H2 D. BLACK ET AL TICKET ISQUING MACHINE Filed Oct. 2, 19:54

5 Sheets-Sheet '1 I Horace D. fie/0 0.062

Mr-new H. D. BLACK ET AL TICKET I-S-SUING MACHINE June 29, 193 7.

Filed Oct. 2, 1934 5 SheetsSheet 2 June 29, 1937.

H. D. BLACK ET AL TICKET. ISSU IJNG MACHINE Filed Oct. 2, 4

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented June 29, 1 937 TICKET ISSUING MACHINE Horace Drummond Black, Uxbridge, and Alexander Adolf Carlo Degcn, Harrow, England, assignors to Bell Punch Company Limited, London, England Application October 2, 1934, Serial No. 746,554! In Great Britain January 3, 1934;

19 Claims. (Cl. Mil-22?) This invention relates to self printing strip ticket issuing machines of the type comprising means, including a pair of tangentially disposed printing rollers between which the strip is fed 5 forward, for feeding and simultaneously printing a predetermined length of strip to form a ticket or series of tickets unsevered from one another from a supply reel or the like and means operativein time with the feeding and printing means for severing the fed and printed length of strip.

It is frequently a desirability with such' machines that the whole of, the printed matter which is applied by the printing rollers to the strip during the current cycle of operation of the machine shall appear upon the ticket which is issued in that cycle, and for this purpose that the severing mechanism shall be operative upon the strip to cut off the length thereof which, in the current cycle in which severance takes place, is fed past the printing rollers, along a line on the strip which, at termination of feed'thereof, is substantially coincident with the point of tangency of the printing rollers.

The object of the present invention is to provide for this in a highly simple and yet eflective manner.

According to the present invention, a self printing strip ticket issuing machine wherein, as above, the strip is fed forward between a pair of tan gentially disposed printing rollers and thereafter a severing mechanism is operative upon the strip to cut off the length thereof which, in the current cycle in which severance takes place is fed past the printing rollers, along a line on the strip which, at termination of feed thereof, is sub-- stantially coincident with the point of normal tangency of the printing rollers, is characterized by the fact that means are provided for automatically efiecting a relative reciprocation as be- 40 tween the strip and the'severing mechanism to bring the said line on the strip after feed thereof into operative register. with the severing means and subsequently to actuation of this means and prior to the succeeding feed of the strip, presenting the new leading edge of the latter into register with the point ofnormal tangency of-the printing rollers.

By this means, as will be appreciated, it is possible to provide for the desirability aforesaid of 5c the line of severance of the strip being at a position thereon which at termination of feed of the strip is at the point of normal tangency of the printing rollers, without thedisadvantage of having to efieet an over-feed of the strip to bring the latter aiter printing forward to the severing least one of the rollers. 1 simplicity and eflficiency of the mechanism is conmechanism and also without the necessity of incorporating the severing mechanism in the printing rollers themselves, which is frequently disadvantageous in that it involves undesirable complication of mechanism.

Conveniently, and according to a feature of the. invention, the printing rollers constitute at the same time feeding means for the strip, the latter being. fed forward by frictional engagement with type elements carried upon the periphery of at By this means the siderably enhanced.

According to a further feature, the effective distance of feed of thecombined feeding and printing rollers may be variableto adapt the ma chine to the issuance of tickets of correspond ingly different length. For example, the type ele ments on the periphery of the printing roller may be replaceable thereon with others of different peripheral length according to the length of ticket to be issued.

In this connection, it will he appreciated that the improved arrangement according to the present invention enables this feature of variability of efiective distance of feed of the strip with con sequent possibility of variation in the length of the ticket capable of issuance in the machine, to be secured. in conjunction with the feature earlier described herein of providing that the whole of the printed matter which is applied to the strip in the current cycle of operation of the machine shall appear on the ticket or series of tickets which are issued in that cycle.

The invention may take either of two principal forms as foliows.

According to the first of these principal forms, the severing mechanism and one of the print rollers may be mounted upon an osciliatorr car rier which, at termination of feed of the strip, is automatically moved to a strip severing posttion to bring the severing mechanism into opera tive register with the point of normal tangency the printing rollers, the strip being maintained stationary during this phase of the cycle and the severance of the strip and the carrier being subsequently automatically returned to normal strip feeding position.

According to the second of the said principal forms, the arrangement may be one in whlchthe severing mechanism is located at a position dis placed along the path of feed of the strip from thepoint of normal engagement (1. e. during feed of the strip) of the printing rollers with the strip ind means are provided for automatically eflect ing movement of the fed strip to bring the portion thereof which at termination of feed is at said point of normal engagement into operative register with the severing mechanism, the strip being afterwards automatically returned to initial feeding position.

The constructional form of the various parts of the mechanism to provide either of the fore going alternative arrangements may vary widely as will be appreciated by engineers in the art. Certain preferred forms of mechanism, however, will be hereinafter described.

One advantage of a construction in accordance with the present invention is that, whereas with an arrangement such as is disclosed, forexample,in the specifications of applications for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 620,091, filed 13th June 1932 and Serial No. 665,386 filed 10th April 1933, it is necessary, in order to accommodate the severing mechanism, (which is mounted upon the combined feeding and printing rollers), to employ rollers which are both of relatively large diameter, it is possible in accordance with the present invention for one at least of the rollers to be of relatively small dimensions, with consequent saving of interior space of the machine and corresponding possibility of reduction of overall dimensions of the unit. In addition, in the case of a machine in which one of the feeding and printing rollers is of foreshortened circumferential length so as to be in feeding contact with the ticket strip through a fraction only of the total angle of rotation performed by the roller per ticket feed cycle (for example in the case where one of the rollers is of variable effective circumferential length for the issuance of tickets of correspondingly variable length), there is the advantage that by employing for the opposite roller :(that is to say the roller opposite the roller of foreshortened circumferential length) a roller of relatively small dimensions, for example a roller of approximately onequarter the diameter of the larger roller, a sharper termination of feed of the strip is possible with consequent enhanced uniformity of length of the severedtickets, as compared with the case where, as in the machine described in the aforesaid specifications, both of the feed rollers are of relatively large diameter. 'This further advantage, moreover, is the more pronounced in the case of a ma chine in which the larger feed roller carries printing type according to the arrangement earlier referred to herein, for with the sharper termination of strip feed, it is the more positively ensured. that the whole of the printed matter which has been applied to the strip by the printing roller shall appear on the severed ticket.

It will be understood, of course, that the knife mechanism, of the improved machine according to the present invention is operable automatically and in time with the strip feed mechanism and other parts of the machine. a

It will further be understood that the driving mechanism for the various parts of the machine and the cycle initiating mechanism therefor (the selection keys or the like and their connections with said driving mechanism or the parts driven thereby) may take any desired form. Here again, however, several preferred forms will be hereinafter described.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate by way of example several embodiments and in which,

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the improved ticket issuing machine of the invention with the side wall of the machine casing broken away to show the essential parts of the strip printing, feeding and severing mechanism of the machine, and with the various parts of the said mechanism, appearing in the positions they respectively occupy just prior to the commencement of feed of the strip;

Figure 2 is a corresponding but fragmentary view showing the parts or the printing and feeding mechanism in the positions they respectively occupy immediately after the termination of feed v of the strip;

Figure 3 is an elevational view similar to Figure 1 but showing the alternative constructional form of the invention hereinbefore referred to according to which the fed and printed strip is advanced forward to the severing knife upon termination of feed of the strip, the figure showing the parts of the mechanism in the positions they respectively occupy normally, that is to say just prior to the commencement of a cycle of actuation of the machine;

Figure 4 is a corresponding but fragmentary view showing the parts of the printing and feed ing mechanism of the'machine of Figure 3 in the positions they respectively occupy at the commencement of feed of the strip, and

Figure 5 illustrates a detail hereinafter described, the figure being a fragmentary elevational view corresponding to Figure 3.

Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the blade support shown in Fig. 3.

Like parts in the various figures are denominated by like reference numerals.

Referring first to the constructional form of the invention shown in Figures l and 2, l is the ticket forming strip, 2 a combined printing and feed roller, 3 a co-operating pressure roller constituting the other feed roller of the pair, 4 is the delivery gate for the severed tickets, this gate being situated as shown, in the top wall 5 of the casing of the machine, and 6, 1, are two rollers forming part of an ejector mechanism for the severed strip. The feed surfaces of the combined printing and feed roller 2 comprise an arc of printing type 8 carried upon the periphery of the roller and a pair of type rollers 9, l0, rotatably adjustable upon axes ll, l2, in the side walls of the roller 2, to vary as desired the operative portion-of the periphery of the type roller, that is to say the portion thereof carrying the type of the particular matter to be printed upon the ticket to be issuedfrom the machine. The type elements 8, 9 and 10 are detachably connected to the roller 2 so as to be readily replaced by other type elements of different peripheral lengths according to the particular length ofticket to be issued by the machine. Thus the effective distance of feed of the rollers 2 and 3 may be varied to adapt the machine to the issuance of tickets of correspondingly different lengths.

The severing device comprises a guillotine blade l3 movable across the face of a co-operating fixed blade I4 mounted with the pressure roller 3 I the fed length of the strip to pass through the gate of the guillotine and the feeding and printing roller 2 is in a position somewhat in rear of the position it occupies at the moment of commencement of feed.

The machine is arranged for the issue of either one, two or more tickets per issue cycle according to which of a series of selector keys 18 are depressed. The selector mechanism operatively associating these keys with the feeding and severing mechanism of the machine, is not shown. Any convenient arrangement ofmechanism in this connection may be employed, thatis to say, any convenient arrangement whereby upon depression of the appropriate key to result in issuance of the desired number of tickets, the feed roller 2 will be caused to. rotate through a corresponding number of revolutions with actuations of the severing knife once per-revolution of the'roller.

The surfaces of the printing elements, 8, 9, II)

are inked by an inking mechanism comprising a series of peripherally contacting ink distributing rollers i9, 20. These rollers are driven in unison with the ro11er 2 so as to rotate at the same peripheral speed as the printing surfaces there- The ticket forming strip 1 is drawn from a supply reel, not shown, and its. leading end is guided to the printing point that is to say to the point of tangency between the two rollers 2, 3, when these are in their strip feeding positions relative-' ly to one another, by a strip guide 2| which terminates at the upperv end at 22.

In the operation of the machine, a key I8 is' depressed, say for the issuance of a single ticket.

This action, through the intermediary of mechanish, not shown, initiates rotation of a toothed wheel 23, this wheel being driven through the intermediary of a one revolution clutch by a driving shaft 24 in turn driven by an electric motor. The motor is started automatically by depression of the operated key.

Wheel 23 meshes with a second toothed wheel 25 having the same number of teeth as wheel 23. Wheel 25, which is mounted upon a shaft 26 -meshes in ,turn with a third toothed wheel 28 which also has the same number of teeth as wheel 23.

Upon depression thereof of any one of the keys is the roller 2 makes one complete revolution from the full line position in which. it appears in Figure land the direction of its rotation is that indicated by the arrow.

At the same time a cam 30 fast with wheel 25 rotates in the direction of the arrow and. in doing so angulates the bracket l5 to the chain line position il aforesaid, a tail roller 3| on the bracket following down the face 32 of the'cam.

The pressure roller 3 is now in'the chain line position and in moving to this position has bent the leading end of the strip l to the position in which it appears in chain line in Figure 1. Also the roller 2 is in a position in which the beginning of its printing surface, namely the periphery of the type roller I8, is opposite and in pressure contact with the extremity of the ticket strip, that is to say, the two rollers '2, 3, are now in operative strip feeding positions in relation to one another with the point of tangency of the peripheries of the rollers substantially coincident with the extremity of the as yet unfed strip. V

Continued rotationof the wheel 23 with consequent continued rotation of the printing roller 2 results in a strip being fed forward first through the open gate of the guillotine, thence between the eiectorrollers 8, I, and finally out through the gate 4-, the strip during its feed thus receiving print on its face from the type elements 8,- 9, III, on the printing roller.

This motion of the parts continues until the periphery of the printing roller 9 has passed the point of tangency of the two feed rollers, whereupon feed immediately ceases. By this time the cam 38 has reached the position in which it appears in Figure 2 and during the further rotation of the cam the latter operates to return the bracket IE to its original position again, that is so say from the full line position in which it appears in Figure 2 to the full line position in which it appears in Figure 1. During this return movement'of the bracket IS the severing guillotine and the pressiire roller 3 have effected a displacement together along the length of the now-stationary and as-yet unsevered length of fed strip, the extent of relative movement thus of the guillotine and the roller in relation to the stationary strip being such as to bring the guillotine opposite that portion of the fed' strip which at termination of feed is positioned at the point of tangency of the two feed rollers 2, 3.

At this juncture, during further rotation still of the cam 38 a pin 33 projecting from the face of the cam engages a cam 34 fast with the guillotine blade l3, causing this blade to be shot forward with consequent severance of the fed length of the strip, leaving the remainder of the strip in rear of the guillotine in the full line position in which it appears in Figure 1 in readiness for the next cycle of operation of the machine. Cam 34 is in position (namely the full line position in which it appears in Figure l) to be engaged withthe effect described by pin 33, having been brought to said position by the previous return of bracket I5 as described.

Finally, ejector rollers 6, l, are brought into operation to eject the now-severed ticket out through the gate 4.

A tension spring 35 operates to maintain the tail roller ill in following contact with the surface of the cam 30.

Referring next to the alternative constructional form of the invention shown in Figures 3-5, the

machine comprises as before, a feed roller 2 carrying an arcuate length of printing type 8 upon'its periphery and an adjustable printing roller i0. (Jo-operating with this feed roller isa smaller feed roller 40 mounted upon a stationary axis 4| just below a severing mechanism for the fed strip consisting ofa guillotine plate 42 reciproca'ble over the face of a co-operating fixed plate 53. The guillotine or blade 42 is preferably engaged by a pin 42 (Fig. 6) for reciprooable movement. The lade 42 is guided in this movement by a pin 43' reaching through a short slot 54 in the blade extending in the direction of length of the latter and the blade is held down withthe appropriate degree of pressure upon the said plate 43 by a nut 43" "threadroller 2 is caused to rotate through a number of revolutions in the direction of the arrow corresponding to the number of tickets to be issued.

Figure 3 shows the various parts of the mechanism and also the as-yet unfed strip in the positions in which said parts and strip respectively occupy prior to a cycle of operation of the machine. Upon depression of the key it for the issue, say, of a single ticket, a driving motor is set in motion and at the same time a toothed wheel 44 commences to rotate, this wheel being 'mounted upon a'shaft 45 in driving connection with the motor and being clutched to this shaft upon depression of the operated key through the intermediary of a one-revolution clutch.

Toothed wheel 44 meshes with a second toothed wheel 46 which in turn meshes with a third toothed wheel 41 and all three of these wheels 44, 46, 41, have the same number of teeth. Consequently upon depression of any one of the keys of the machine, printing roller 2 is caused to rotate through one revolution of rotation.

Fast with wheel 44 is a cam disc 48 formed with a cam track 49 in its face. In this track works a follower roller 50 projecting from the side face of a link 5| pivoted at 52 to a tall 53 of a stationary bracket 54.

Link 5| has a jawed extremity 55 in the jaw of which works a pin 56 projecting from the face of a block 51 slidable along the rear face of the ticket strip I in the manner hereinafter described.

Carried upon this block 51 are a pair of oppositely acting uni-directional clutch levers. I8, 58. These clutch levers which are respectively pivoted at 60 and GI to the block 51 carry friction pads 82, 63, the outer ends of which are in contact with the face of the strip I, the arrangement being such that when both of the levers 5B, 59, are in the clutch-operative position, namely the position in which they appear in Figure 3, the strip is held against endwise displacement in both directions. Lowering of block 51, therefore, occasions a pulling down of the strip from the position in which it appears in Figure 3 by an amount which is equal to the distance of lowering of the block.

Upon depression of the selected key l8, feed roller 2 commences to rotate in the manner stated.

At the same time, cam 48 commences to rotate in the direction 'of the arrow and in doing so operates immediately through the intermediary of cam track 49, follower roller 50, link SI and pin 56 to lower block 51 to the full-line position in which it appears in Figure 4. By this means, the ticket forming strip i is pulled down to a position in which its extremity, which previously was closely adjacent the gate of the guillotine as shown in Figure 3, is opposite the point of tangency of the two feed rollers 2, 40, that is to say to the position in which it appears in Figure 4, said point of tangency being, as will be appreciated, the point of tangency as between the periphery of the printing roller l0 and that of the said roller 40.

At this point the feed'cycle commences and during the continued rotation of roller 2, the stri becomes simultaneously printed and fed forward through the now-open gate of the guillotine and thence through the delivery gate 4 for the issued tickets.

Feed forward thus of the strip is permitted past the'clutch lever 58 by reason of this lever having been moved to an inoperative position at the termination of the lowering movement of the block 51. Figure 4 shows the said clutch lever in this inoperative position. As shown in that figure, a nose 65 projecting from the underside of the lever abuts a cam taper 86 provided to engage it upon the upper end of a deflector member 61, upon block 51 reaching a point near the termination of its lowering movement, said cam taper $6 operating to oscillate the lever 58 to the full line position in which it appears in Figure 4 during the conclusion of said lowering movement. It will be understood, of course, that clutch lever 59 is inoperative to prevent forward feed of the strip in the manner described as this lever is. operative in the reverse direction from that of lever 58. 7

Upon completion of the feed phase of rotation of roller 2, that is to say upon the trailing end of the type element 8 on the periphery of the roller having reached the point of tangency as between rollers 2 and 40, feed of the strip ceases. Roller 2, however, continues to rotate until it is returned again to the position in which it appears in Figure 3.

During said continued rotation of roller 2, cam 48, which also continues to rotate, operates to return the block 51 to its rest position, that is to say the position in which it appears in Figure 3, and with said block the now-fed and printed strip to a position in which that part of the strip which at the termination of feed was located at the point of tangency of the two feed rollers is in the gate of the guillotine 42, 43.

Said guillotine now operates and the severed ticket drops down on to the face of the top wall 4 of the machine'casing adjacent the delivery gate 4 therein in readiness to be picked upv by the operator of the machine.

This completes the cycle of operations in the issue of a ticket and the various parts of the mechanism and also the unsevered length of strip still in the machine are again in the positions in which they appear in Figure 3 in readiness for the next cycle of operation of the machine.

As will be appreciated, an advantage incidental to the arrangement of parts described in the foregoing is that inasmuch as the normal or initial position at the commencement of an operating cycle of the machine of the ticket forming strip is the position in which it ap-, pears in Figure 3, that is to say with the leading extremity of the strip at the gate of the guillotine, the said ,gate serves as a locating stop for the strip in the initial threading of the latter into position in the machine.

To enable the ticket forming strip to be initially threaded into position past the clutch levers 5 8, 59, the mechanism shown in Figure 5 is provided.

This mechanism comprises a stem ill mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis by means of a manipulating finger piece H. The stem carries at the upper end lugs (not shown) which during the rotation of the stem engage the free ends of the clutch levers 58, 58, so as simultaneously to angulate these levers about their pivots 60, 6!, to positions in which the faces of the clutch pads 62, 63, are out of contact with the face of the strip, the levers 58, 58, being angulated in thismanner against the opposite constraint of tension springs 12.

As will be appreciated by engineers in the art, the invention is capable of considerable modification as regards structural details and general arrangement of component parts and described purely by way of example.

it will also be understood that if the ticket forming strip be partially pro-printed, the feed roller 2 may be formed with peripheral feeding surfaces, for example around the edges of the roller, in addition to those which are constituted by the surface of the printing type.

Finally, means may, if desired, be embodied in the improved machine of this invention, for automatically adjusting the position of the fed ticket length in relation to the severing knife, that is to say during the interval between termination of feed and actuation of the knife, with or without also prior to the feed phase of the next cycle.

What we claim and desire to secure by Let- 1 ters Patent of the United States is:

l. A ticket issuing machine comprising means for printing upon a ticket strip; a knife 10-, cated beyond the printing means in the direc-' tion of feed of the strip, said knife being adapted to sever the strip in a cycle of operation behind the printing produced by the printing means in the same cycle; and means for effecting forward movement of the strip after the printing is completed to carry the printed portion beyond the position of theknife for proper severance thereby and for effecting rearward.

movement of the strip after severance to bring the cut edge adjacent the printing means.

2. A ticket issuing machine comprising means for printing upon a ticket strip; a knife located beyond the printing means in the direction of feed of the strip to sever the same; and means for effecting rearward movement or the strip after severance to bring the cut edge adjacent the printing means.

in an automatic self-printing ticket issuing machine, the combination of a pair of feeding rollers for the strip, said rollers being tangent to each other at their peripheries when in operation, a severing knife for the strip located in advance of the point of normal tangency of the feed rollers and in the path of the strip, a movable carrier upon which are mounted one of the rollers and the knife, and mechanism for actuating the carrier at predetermined intervals during the operation of the machine whereby the roller on the carrier and the knife are arranged to he selectively brought into registration with the normal point oi. tangency of the rollers and removed therefrom.

a. an automatic seli printing ticket issuing machine, the combination of a pair of feeding rollers for the strip, said rollers heln g tangent to each other at their peripheries when in operation, a severing knife for the strip located advance of the point of normal tangency of the feed rollers and in the path oi the strip, a carrier, means pivctally connecting the carrier to the machine, said carrier having one of the rollers and a knife mounted thereon, and

mechanism for actuating the carrier at predetermined intervals during the operation of the machine alternately to move the roller on the carrier and the knife intov registration with the normal point offtangency of the rollers.

.ln an automatic self-printing ticket issuing machine, the combination of a pair of feeding rollers for the-strip, said rollers being tangent to each other at their peripheries when in operaticn, a severing knife for the strip located in ad-v vance of the point of normal tangency of the feed rollers and in the path of the strip, a carrier, means pivotally connecting the carrier to r the machine, said carrier having one of the rollers and said knife mounted thereon, mechanism for actuating the carrier at predetermined intervals during the operation of the machine alternately to move theroller on the carrier and the knife into registration with the normal point of tangency of the rollers, and means for actuating the knife to sever the strip adjacent the point of normal tangencyof the roller.

'6. An automatic self-printing strip ticket issuing machine having in combination, a pair of feed rollers for the strip, said rollers when in their op- '7. An automatic self-printing strip ticket issuing machine having in combination, a pair of feed rollers for the strip, said rollers when in their operative position being disposed substantially tangential to each other, a knife located in adsaid rollers to feed the strip, said feed being discontinued when a point on the periphery of one of the feed rollers passes the point of tangency of the rollers, and mechanism for moving the strip to bring the portion thereof which at termination of feed is at the point of normal tangency of the rollers into registration with the knife, said mechanism subsequent to the operation of the knife and before the next feeding movement of the strip returning the unsevered portion of the strip to its initial feeding position adjacent the point of tangency of the rollers at the commencement of each ticket issuing cycle of the machine.

8.. An automatic self-printing strip ticket issuing machine having in combination, a pair of feed rollers for the strip, said rollers when in their operative position being disposed substantially tangential to each other, a knife located in advance of the feed. rollers, means for actuating said rollers to feed the strip, said feed being discontinuedwhen .a' point on the periphery of one of the. feed rollers passes the point of tangency of the rollers, mechanism for moving the strip to 1 bring the portion thereof which at termination of feed is at the point of normal tangency of the rollers into registration with the knife. said mechanism subsequent to the operation of the knife and before the next feeding movement of the strip returning the imsevered portion of the stripto its initial feeding position adjacent the point of normal tangency of the rollers, said mechanismhaving movable retaining members arranged to engage the strip to prevent displacement thereof, and means for releasing the engagement of said 'inemcers with the stripduring the feeding movement of the latter.

9. An automatic self-printing strip ticket issuing machine having in combination, a pair of feed rollers for the strip, said rollers when in their operative position "being disposed substantially tangential to each other, a knife located in advance of the feed rollers, means for actuating saidrollers-to feed the strip, said feed being discontinued when a point on the periphery of one of the feed rollers passes the point of tangency of the rollers, mechanism for moving the strip to 'vance of the feedrollers, means 'for actuating 70 knife to sever a portion of predetermined length bring the portion thereof which at termination of feed is at the point of normal tangency of the rollers into registration with the knife, said mechanism subsequent tothe operation 'of the knife and before the next feeding movement of the strip returning the unsevered portion of the strip to its initial feeding position adjacent the point of normal tangency of the rollers, clutch means associated with said mechanism and arranged to engage the strip'to prevent displacement thereof during the movement of said mechanism, and means for releasing the engagement of said clutch means with the strip during the feeding movement of the latter.

10. An automatic self-printing strip ticket issuing-machine having in combination, a pair of feed rollers for the strip, said rollers when in,

their operative position being disposed substantially tangential to each other, a knife located in advance of the feed rollers, means for actuating said rollers to feed thestrip, said feed being discontinued when a point on the periphery of one of the feed rollers passes the point of tangency of the rollers, mechanism for moving the strip to bring the portion thereof which at termination of feed is at the point of normal tangency of the rollers into registration with the knife, said mechanism subsequent to the operation of the knife and before the next feeding movement of the strip returning the unsevered portion of the strip to its initial feeding position adjacent the point of normal tangency of the rollers, a pair of oppositely acting uni-directional clutch members carried by said mechanism and arranged to be moved into engagement with said strip to prevent displacement thereof, one of said clutch members operative during advance of the strip and the other during retraction thereof, and means for releasing the clutch members during the feeding movement of the strip.

11. An automatic ticket issuing machine having in combination a pair of feed rollers for a ticket strip, said rollers when in their operative positionsbeing disposed substantially tangential to each other, a knife located in advance of the point of normal tangency of the feed rollers, means for actuating said rollers to feed the ticket strip, said feed being discontinued when a portion of one of,the rollers passa the point of normal tangency of the rollers, means for actuating the knife to sever a-portion of predetermined length of the ticket strip during each-operative cycle of the machine, and means for effecting after feed of the strip and before actuation of the knife, relative displacement of the knife and the strip so that during operation of the knife the line of the strip, which-at the termination of the feeding movement of the strip is substantially coincident with the point of normal tangency of the iiiLrollers, is in registration with the knife.

12. An automatic ticket issuing machine having in combination a pair of feed rollers for a ticket strip, said rollers when in their operative positions being disposed substantially tangential to each other, a knife located in advance of the point of normal tangency of the feed rollers, means for actuating said rollers to feed the ticket strip, said feed being discontinued when a portion of one of the rollers passes the point of normal tangency of the rollers, means for actuating the of the ticket strip during each operative cycle of the machine, and means for effecting after feed of the strip and before actuation of the knife, relative displacement of the knife and the st ip to the strip, which at the terminationof the feeding movement of the strip is substantially coincident with the point of normal tangency of the rollers,

is in registration with the knife, said last men- 5 tioned means presenting the unsevered leading edge of the ticket strip into registration with the point of normal tangency of the rollers prior to the next feeding operation. 1

13. An automatic ticket issuing machine hav- 1i ing in combination a pair of feed rollers for a ticket strip, said rollers when in their operative positions being disposed substantially tangential to each other, one of said rollers having printing means thereon, a knife member located in advance of the point of normal tangency of the feed rollers, means for actuating said rollers simultaneously to feed and print the ticket strip, said feed being discontinued when a portion of one of the rollers passes the point of normal tangency 2 severed in each cycle constituting the ticket or tickets issued in that cycle, and means for eifect- I ing after feed of the strip and before actuation of the knife, relative displacement of the knife and the strip so that during the operation of the tion of the feeding movement of the strip is substantially coincident with the point of normal tangency of the rollers, is'in registration with the knife member.

- knife the line of the strip, which at the termina- 3( 14. An automatic ticket issuing machine hav- 5 ing in combination a pair of feed rollers for a ticket strip, said rollers when in, their operative positions being disposed substantially tangential to each other, one of said rollers having printing means thereon, a knifelocated in advance of the M point of normal tangency of the feed rollers, means for actuating said rollers simultaneously to feed and print the ticket strip, said feed being discontinued when a portion of one of the rollers passes the point of normal tangency of the rollers, 45

means for actuating the knife to sever a portion of predetermined length of the strip during each operative cycle of the machine, the length of the strip severed in each cycle constituting the ticket or tickets in that cycle, and means for effecting after feed of the strip and before actuation of the knife, relative displacement of the knife and the strip so that during the operation of the knife the line of the strip which at the termination of the feeding movement of the strip is substantially coincident with the normal tangency of the rollers, is in registration with the knife, said last mentioned means after the actuation of the knife and prior to the next feeding movement of the ticket strip, presenting the unsevered leading edge of the strip into registration with the normal point of tangency of the rollers.

15. An automatic ticket issuing machine having in combination a pair of feed rollers for a ticket strip, said rollers when in their operative ticket to be issued, a knife located in advance of the point of normal tangency of the feed-rollers, means for actuating said rollers to feed the ticke strip, said feed being discontinued when a portio of one of the rollers passes the point of norm ent length in accordance with the length of the 7 tangency of the rollers, means for actuating the knife to sever a portion of predetermined length of the ticket strip during each operative cycle. of the machine, and means for effecting after feed of the strip andbefore actuation of the knife, relative displacement of the knife and the strip so that during the operation of the knife the line of the strip, which at the termination of the feeding movement of the strip is substantially coinci- 10 dent with the point of normal tangency of the rollers, is in registration with the knife.

16. An automatic self-printing strip ticket issuing machine having in combination a printing roller, a movable supporting member having a 15 pressure roller arranged to be moved into and out of engagement with the printing roller and coacting therewith to provide a pair of feed rollers, a reciprocating knife carried by the movable member and located in advance of the point of 20 normal tangency of the rollers, means to move the pressure roller towards and away from the printing roller at predetermined intervals during the operation of the machine, means when the rollers are in engagement to actuate the printing as roller to feed the ticket strip and simultaneously to print the strip, said feed being discontinued without effecting the rotation of the printing roll- ,er, said supporting member at the end of the feeding movement of the strip being actuated to 30 move the knife to a position of registratiori with the point of normal tangency of the rollers, and means for actuating the knife for severing the strip at this point.

17. A ticket issuing machine comprising means :5 for printing upon a ticket strip; a knife located beyond the printing means in the direction of feed of the strip, said knife being adapted to sever the strip in a cycle of operation behind the printing produced by the printing means in the same cycle; and means for effecting forward movement of the strip after the printing is completed to carry the printed portion forward beyond the position of the knife for proper severance thereby and for effecting rearward movement of the strip after severance to insure printing at a predetermined location on the strip in the next cycle of operation.

18. A ticket issuing machine comprising means for engaging and feeding a ticket strip; a knife located beyond the feeding means in the direction of feed of the strip, said knife being adapted to sever the strip in a cycle of operation: and means for effecting forward movement of the strip after the feed by said feeding means is completed to carry the strip into predetermined position for proper severance by the knife and for effecting rearward movement of the strip after severance to insure engagement of a predetermined portion of the strip by said feeding means in the next cycle of operation.

19. A ticket issuing machine comprising a pair of feed rollers for a ticket strip; a knife located beyond said feed rollers in the direction of feed of the strip, said knife being adapted to sever the strip in a cycle of operation; and means for effecting forward movement of the strip after the feed by said feed rollers is completed and before actuation of the knife to carry the portions of the strip engaged by the feed rollers beyond the knife for severance thereby in its next actuation.

HORACE DRUMMOND BLACK. MEXANDER ADOLF CARLO DEGEN. 

